Jim Bianco’s story is a good one.  And his loyal fan base proves that he’s found a niche for his direct, brutally honest take on every-day experiences. 

His third self-released LP, Loudmouth, that just came out April 5^th captures how Bianco’s seductively deep voice delivers his unique sense of asinine humor with a touch of lightheartedness.

The multi-faceted artist took time between performing, writing short stories, creating silent films and dreaming of playing bass for Slash & Herbie Hancock to answer some questions for eBurban.  He offered an inside look on how Loudmouth came to be and where he hopes to head.

eBu: When did you first realize that being a performer was your passion?  How did you break into the scene?

Jim Bianco: There are so many instances that I can think of. If I had to narrow it down, I would have to say it was either my epic 6th grade lip sync performance of “Twist and Shout” in the Willets Road Middle School library with Frankie Dimopolous on guitar and Scott Kramer on drums OR my historical re-enactment of the blues brothers “She Caught the Katy” in 9^th grade with Greg Fiore playing Jake. (I was Elwood, obviously.). That being said, my mother would argue that my 7th grade choreographed version of “Runaround Sue” was, without a doubt, my first step into show business.

What was the main inspiration behind Loudmouth?

I aimed for every song to weigh the same.  Like a pound of feathers or a pound of gold, I want each song to contain something different, but to still move you with the exact same amount of force.  Whether it be humor, sadness, darkness or fun- I wanted a through line.

Do you think the tone of Loudmouth differs from your previous releases?  Did your songwriting process change at all?

It’s strange because when I listen to this record, some songs sound a bit angrier, a bit more cynical than my old material- but then other songs sound more enlightened, more provocative and more liberated. I’m not sure if it was the process that changed, or what was being processed. I changed a lot during the making of this record, and that really comes through.

What do you hope listeners take away from Loudmouth?

Everything. I truly feel like the record contains a range of emotions.  From devastation to celebration, from hope to regret, from love to loss to elevator operators, I think it’s on here and I think, if you’re open to it, you can find it.

Do you feel that your sound is best captured in a studio recording or during a live performance?

I love playing live. It’s the most connected I feel to the songs. Live is always more potent, more intense, because the moments are fleeting and unrecorded. There are no mistakes because there’s no recording to capture the mistakes. It’s a roller coaster, it’s moving, and there’s no time to keep track of the execution. It just is what it is, and then it’s over.

It’s real and it’s mean and it’s perfect, no matter how imperfect it is.

It’s so amazing that your fans funded Loudmouth.  How does it feel to have such a loyal fan base support you?  Did you ever actually think you would raise enough to make the album?

I feel real lucky. And I also feel understood, in a way.  After years of touring, you never really know if you impacted people and on what level. But after I reached out to the fans, their response made me feel like someone was actually listening the whole time. It’s a feeling that I’ll never take for granted. It was a bigger payoff than the payoff itself.

Do you have any interest in getting signed to a record label in the future?  Or do you prefer the freedom of being independent?

It depends on the day, really. Sometimes it truly does feel like there’s a freedom to being independent. Other times, it feels like being independent has so many limitations that it’s its own prison. Ultimately, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that record companies are in trouble, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s getting easier to be an independent artist. Overall, I think it’s just hard to be in the music business these days.

Do you think music will always be your priority – or do you foresee your focus shifting to writing short stories and/or creating silent films?  Which satisfies your creativity the most?

I fantasize about writing a screenplay in the future, so who knows?  And I love the romantic notion of being locked up in some bungalow writing a novel, or short stories, or a play. But it always comes back to performing for me. I love the rush, I love the pre-show, I love the post show, and I love the traveling. Only music can really offer you such a lifestyle.

What measurable milestone do you hope to reach next?

There’s a very funny, charming, curly-haired milestone called ‘Letterman’ that I’d like to reach next.

What’s the most memorable musical industry experience you’ve had to date? 

Watching Slash and Herbie Hancock jam in a bar in Beverly Hills together.  I wound up sitting in on bass. True Story.